Preparing for the Emotional and Physical Challenges of Appointments at the Hospital

Appropriate language choices and conversations One way to help a child prepare for any medical appointment, hospital visit or treatment procedure is to be aware of the language used to describe what is happening. [...] It is also necessary to pay attention and monitor how the child is doing on a regular basis to ensure they continue to process information in beneficial ways. [...] Not knowing anything can be detrimental to the treatment process, so parents need to communicate to the child what is happening in small pieces without taking a lot of time. [...] Going this extra step to increase familiarity with the medical facility and giving a child a preview of what to expect for their appointment can ease worries for the whole family. [...] Letting them know what will happen and what they may need to do in terms they can understand will decrease the chances of a trauma response to a hospital visit.